A Thurston County judge has again ordered that the 43 “young adults” removed from Green Hill School earlier this month must be returned to the facility, despite objections from state officials.
The decision comes as the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) looks to address overcrowding and safety concerns at youth detention facilities in the state.
Judge Anne Egeler previously noted that DCYF signed an agreement less than one year ago that outlined the process for DCYF to transfer an inmate to the state Department of Corrections (DOC), which was not followed.
Meanwhile, a King County Superior Court judge has found DCYF in contempt of court for failing to transfer an 18-year-old convicted of robbery to a state juvenile rehabilitation facility, according to KUOW.
The court rulings come after DCYF ordered that 43 offenders be transferred to the DOC, and Gov. Jay Inslee authorized the agency to “immediately” begin considering options for a “small, medium security facility” amid overpopulation concerns.
“The safety of the residents and staff in DCYF facilities is most important. The decision to freeze intakes and transfer 43 young people was made in order to prioritize the safety on campus,” DCYF said in a statement Friday. “The ruling issued today in Thurston County Superior Court related to the transfer of 43 young people will put the safety of residents and staff at Green Hill School at risk. DCYF has requested a stay pending an emergency appeal.”
Citing the ongoing legal action, DCYF said it would have no additional comment.
The rulings Friday came after DCYF paused intake at both Green Hill and Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie.
According to DCYF, the transferred residents were all males over 21 with an adult sentence beyond their 25th birthday who would have eventually been transferred to the DOC.
Before the transfer, Green Hill housed 236 residents, above the 180 the facility considers “best practice.”
The transfer caught state lawmakers off guard, with state Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, who sits on the Senate committee that oversees the state’s correctional system, writing in a statement he felt “blindsided” by the decision.
"We are tracking this issue closely. Children's safety in our state's agencies is a high priority. It is our state's responsibility to protect children in juvenile facilities," Boehnke said in a July 23 statement. “The complete disregard of due process and notice is a real concern.”
According to DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter, the population at Green Hill increased from 150 residents in 2023 to 240 residents in June 2024, which is 30% above capacity, and the facility saw considerable growth after state law allowed some minor offenders to serve their sentences at the facilities.
According to DCYF, 228 aggressive acts have occurred in state juvenile rehabilitation facilities since January.
Instead of being sent to either Green Hill or Echo Glen, newly sentenced offenders are currently held in custody at county facilities, according to DCYF, with the department providing financial support.
Overcrowding at Green Hill School has long been cited among the reasons for a rise in crime at the facility, which have included drug possession, assault and other felony charges.
The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team served a warrant at the facility in August 2023 and seized evidence stored in lockers.
Advocates for the moved inmates, meanwhile, said they were “concerned and frustrated” by DCYF’s decision to move the residents.
“In transferring these young people to adult facilities, they are exposed to higher rates of violence, greater risk of suicide, more reentry barriers, and a greater chance for rearrest upon release. The decision blatantly conflicts with the stated vision of the Department: that “all Washington’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community,” representatives for the Coalition for Juvenile Justice wrote in a letter to Hunter on Thursday.
In a statement, the organization said that two members of their “Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC)” had been removed from the facility “unjustly.”
“Despite their current circumstances, these young men have been vital members of our ELC and have helped shape and cultivate the next generation of youth advocates in the field of juvenile justice,” the coalition wrote. “Their contributions to CJJ have helped foster innovative ideas and encouraged policy changes that promote fairness, equity and better outcomes for justice-involved youth.”
Following the initial decision to move the inmates, Allison Krutsinger, director of public affairs for DCYF, told The Chronicle the agency did not anticipate transferring additional residents out of either Echo Glen or Green Hill.
“We hope this will help. I don't think it's a secret. It has been a really challenging environment for the young people, for the staff,” Krutsinger said of the decision to move the residents. “We do hope this will help provide some immediate sort of relief and help the environmental realities, staffing realities, in bringing more programming back online, etc. I would be hard-pressed to make guarantees or speak in absolutes, but we believe this was a necessary step to achieve that safe, therapeutic, rehabilitative environment.”
